Why are AA's fares so much higher??!!?

[IncredibleMom]

Here's the issue:

We're taking another trip to WDW this December (14th-19th). We each have 200.00 vouchers for AA only (from getting bumped on our flight when we went this past February.)

We paid about $240 ea for those tickets and until about 2 weeks ago, AA had fights with 2 connections for about the same price (1 connection flights were a/b $380!) I hadn't purchased because I was holding out for the 1 connection price to go down (I've got 2 children with mild Autism.)

Now, the ONLY flights they're listing are 1 connection for $420 ea. PLUS fees!!!

Why is it that Delta has the same dates with 1 connection for $240 - and other airlines aren't much more than that.

What's up with American's fares????
Does anyone have insider info on when/if they will lower their fares?

Thanks,
IncredibleMom

 

[bicker]

American is simply the best airline in the country right now. Frequent fliers know it. They have the most reliable service, and despite anecdotal bad experiences, have the best customer service. I'm not surprised to learn they're charging the highest fares. If anything, I rather hope they keep it up. Maybe if enough passengers reward American for its great service, by paying the premium for flying American, they can being to rebuild the quality service model in the US airline industry, and we can be saved from the ever-decreasing service levels that we've experienced ove the past few years.

 

[Michael623]

Let's see some numbers to back up this supposed "fact". According to the Airline Quality Rankings the top 6 were Jet Blue, Airtran, SWA, United, Alaska and America West. Least customer complaints were SWA and Jet blue. American is "mired in mediocrity". JD power gives Continental the best in customer satisfaction award. Skytrax gives its quality cerificates to Continental and Jet Blue. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but let's not confuse opinion with fact. What services are you actually looking for and are willing to pay more for? You get on the plane, you fly where you're going, and you get off the plane. That's all I'm paying for and that's all I expect. And for that service I choose who ever is cheapest.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

American Airlines is the best at yield management. American has sophisticated computer modeling that tracks historic demand and predicts future demand. American knows how many seats on each flight need to be sold at each fare. All airlines try to do this — American is just better at it. That's one reason why American is the only one of the remaining legacy carriers that has never been in Chapter 11.

American could have a flight that's still three quarters empty, but for which they are no longer selling deeply discounted tickets. American is able to predict that by the time the flight operates, all seats will be full (or nearly full) — and the remaining seats might sell at 2 to 5 times the price of a deeply discounted ticket.

American can also have a flight with only a dozen empty seats, but these seats are still available at deeply discounted tickets.

As a loyal American passenger, American's pricing is sometimes frustrating to me. For my Southern Florida vacation last spring, I bought tickets on Delta, not American. Delta cost half as much. American lost my $180 per person business — but they didn't have any trouble selling those seats to someone else for more money. And that's good business.

I plan ahead for vacation travel. I'm aware that American doesn't sell any more deeply discounted tickets on each flight than they need to. I usually get excellent fares on American, but I sometimes have to look elsewhere.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

American is "mired in mediocrity".

I think all domestic carriers are "mired in mediocrity" — not just in economy, but even in first class.

I've never flown on JetBlue, because JetBlue doesn't service Chicago. And it's been many years since I've been on Continental. So perhaps these airlines are a little better. I wouldn't know.

The airline industry is now providing what their customers want — basic transportation at low prices. Adjusted for inflation, air travel is now incredibly cheap compared to 10, 20, and 30 years ago.

 

[Nebsky]

Let's see some numbers to back up this supposed "fact". According to the Airline Quality Rankings the top 6 were Jet Blue, Airtran, SWA, United, Alaska and America West. Least customer complaints were SWA and Jet blue. American is "mired in mediocrity". JD power gives Continental the best in customer satisfaction award. Skytrax gives its quality cerificates to Continental and Jet Blue. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but let's not confuse opinion with fact. What services are you actually looking for and are willing to pay more for? You get on the plane, you fly where you're going, and you get off the plane. That's all I'm paying for and that's all I expect. And for that service I choose who ever is cheapest.

I didnt see where Bicker said it was a fact.

Each airline has people that will stick with them through thick and thin.

Its like Coke and Pepsi. Both are soft drinks. Some people like Coke and hate Pepsi and vise versa. Its your money, buy what you want.

All US airlines are equally safe, reliable modes of transportation. The flying public has spoken that they want cheap fares. A lot of them will ***** and moan about the lack of ammenities on board but as long as they care more about the bottom line ticket costs, things will not change.

 

[CarolA]

American is simply the best airline in the country right now. Frequent fliers know it. They have the most reliable service, and despite anecdotal bad experiences, have the best customer service. I'm not surprised to learn they're charging the highest fares. If anything, I rather hope they keep it up. Maybe if enough passengers reward American for its great service, by paying the premium for flying American, they can being to rebuild the quality service model in the US airline industry, and we can be saved from the ever-decreasing service levels that we've experienced ove the past few years.

Bicker,
Normally I agree with you. However, having had a gate agent call me a "witch" (replace the w) for asking when boarding would be begin pretty much rules out "great service" (This was not anecdotal... it happened to me, I had witnessess. The best part, the station manager told me that this woman was "one of my best employees" ) The Nashville TN station is pretty much a DISASTER, run by a manger who has been known to tell customers that they "are in the way" (Of what?) I have "rewarded" them for this "service" They only get my money if NO other airline flies that route. (NOTE: NO ONE ELSE SHOULD BASE ANY DECISONS ON MY EXPERIENCE. IT WAS ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO!!!)


EDIT: An AMAZING thing just happend. I received PM from an AA employee apologizing. That was a very nice thing for him to do and totally unrequired. This employee didn't work at BNA and wasn't involved in the fiasco there!!! While I probably won't fly AA much that small act did a LOT towards restoring my faith. (That was really all I wanted in the above incident, an apology. I think the station manger thought I wanted upgrades, money etc... I didn't. I really have a pretty good understanding of the airline industry. My Grandfather spent his whole life in airlines ...)


Actually I think a more valid point may be that AA has far less capacity into MCO to sell at "el cheapo" fares then DL, SW etc.... I just priced a work trip recently and AA was $200 cheaper then anyone other major. Since I won't fly them, I am flying OUT of BHM (2 hours away) on SW.

 

[bicker]

Think what you will. I treat all airline personnel the same, fairly and politely, and of them all American treats me best, gets me to my destinations most reliably, keeps me best informed, etc.

 

[CarolA]

Bicker. See my edit above.

AA has at least moved to my "maybe" list. It's amazing what having one of thier employees be nice has acomplished.

As I indicated to the nice employee who apologized to me. I routinely want to strangle airline management. However, I FIRMLY believe you should NOT take that frustration out on the employees. It's not the gate agent, ticket agent, FA or pilots fault that some overall stupid decisions have been made. They are just as frustrated with the state of airtravel as we are. (And I am embarrassed when I watch my fellow travelers abusing these folks and have stepped up to defend them. I once asked a man who was standing in line SCREAMING about how horrible Delta was if he thought they had a direct line to God. The airport was CLOSED due to a thunderstorm which we could see. He actually said something to the effect of "who gives a xyz about the baggage handlers, I don't care if they get hit by lightening" WHAT??)

I think what happened to me was that the employees took thier frustration with managment decisions out on the passengers. I think that attitude was "encouraged" by thier local management who acted the same way. I DO NOT think what went on a few years ago at BNA in any way reflected AA as a whole and I should probably give them a second chance in a new city.

The one thing that does drive me crazy is that gate agents all over the world, think that if they don't tell the passengers the plane is late they won't notice. And this seems to be industry wide. I had a flight on SW recently where they just took the flight off the board... maybe we won't notice that we aren't actually in Orlando?

 

[IncredibleMom]

Hello....OP here!
Many excellent points made on which airlines are best and why, but no suggestions for me and my situation...

OK, I can either:
1) Drive 3 hrs away to Dallas and the fare would be $278
2) Drive 1 hour away and ther fare would be $372
AND still use the $200 vouchers

OR
1) Go ahead and forget the vouchers (the main reason we were taking this trip ), book Delta out of Shreveport and pay $250ea.
2)Wait it out and see if AA drops their price ($451) and of corse risk lowest fare availability on the other flight options!

ARG! When we were bumped, we hed to fly another airline (NWA). If I had known better, I would have insisted on vouchers that could be used on any airline!!!! But, I guess its too late for that!

OK, all of you airline experts - Got any advice on this????

 

[chipscinderelly]

Think what you will. I treat all airline personnel the same, fairly and politely, and of them all American treats me best, gets me to my destinations most reliably, keeps me best informed, etc.

I live in the DFW area and while I am part of the premier fliers on AA and do try to fly them first I have not had the same experiences. If I am on your flight I will apologize now, it's going to be late, your bags will disappear or be very late, they will cancel the flight with little to no warning and rebook you HOURS later, and sometimes the crew will have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Heck one of my flights was so bad they *GAVE* us 9,000 frequent flyer miles without asking. In our family we call it bad travel karma... it stinks! Not always AAs fault but when you have so few other choices out of the airport it's hard to see that they are the BEST.

Wish they'd change the statistics to on time ARRIVAL from departure - I don't care if I take off on time, get me there early or on time!

And yes, I am a proponent of getting rid of the old laws, and not over 8 years.

 

[CarolA]

Wish they'd change the statistics to on time ARRIVAL from departure - I don't care if I take off on time, get me there early or on time!

And yes, I am a proponent of getting rid of the old laws, and not over 8 years.

you are correct, the "departure" stat is a joke. It's an "on time" departure if they close the boarding door on schedule. Now, if all the do is pull out and sit for two hours, it still counts as "on time" I have seen ALL of the airlines board planes knowing there was NO way they were "departing" for quite a while, but they got us on and closed that door.... (Then they proceed to bake us)

Now there are times when they have to do that. For example, in Atlanta if they don't board and get in line it's going to put them even farther behind. But boarding in Nashville when they KNOW there is a ground hold in Dallas or Atlanta is a JOKE and just done to "be on time"

Once again I don't blame the front line employees, they get trashed if the plane leaves late. It's management who makes then do these stupid things!

 

[Nebsky]

Hello....OP here!
Many excellent points made on which airlines are best and why, but no suggestions for me and my situation...

OK, I can either:
1) Drive 3 hrs away to Dallas and the fare would be $278
2) Drive 1 hour away and ther fare would be $372
AND still use the $200 vouchers

OR
1) Go ahead and forget the vouchers (the main reason we were taking this trip ), book Delta out of Shreveport and pay $250ea.
2)Wait it out and see if AA drops their price ($451) and of corse risk lowest fare availability on the other flight options!

ARG! When we were bumped, we hed to fly another airline (NWA). If I had known better, I would have insisted on vouchers that could be used on any airline!!!! But, I guess its too late for that!

OK, all of you airline experts - Got any advice on this????

The rates are going to be more in December around that time due to the Holidays. They can and will charge more. How many total people are flying?
What are the flight times you are looking for?

How many vouchers do you have and what is the grand total. When do they expire?

I dont know of any airline that will give you vouchers that are good for the competition.

If it were me, I might consider driving to DFW. You can get a decent room at a hotel near the airport plus parking for probably right around 100.00 Just remember its roughly 185 miles. Factor in the gas and travel time. Add those to the flights and see which way works best.

The rates for 4 people is 1224.40. Remove however much from the the total price. If it is less than the fare for delta, take it. If it is more, go with delta and use the vouchers later.

A no connection is alot better than 1 or two connections just to save a couple of bucks. But then again, 2 children with mild autisim might make that a bad idea.

 

[bicker]

The reason why the departure stat is used versus the arrival stat is because the airline has direct control over the former; the latter is mostly dependent on the FAA, and so focusing on that will lead to pressure on the FAA to favor (read: bribes) one airline over the other in its operations.